Jaak Rakfeldt:
CLASS OF 1964
Newfane High SchoolClass of 1964
Newfane, NY
Jaak's Story
NB! In second grade at NCS, my teacher forced me to forsake my real name, stating that Jack is my name in America, not Jaak. Dismayed, I capitulated. But, as soon as I could, I returned to my actual name, which is, and always has been, Jaak.
And now, I offer a brief overview of my life since Newfane High School. After graduating from NCS, I attended the State University of New York at Geneseo. I received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1968, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. After graduation, I went to work for the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene (DMH) at Craig Developmental Center in Sonyea, NY. While there, I learned of a DMH program by which I could get a master's degree while on full salary from New York State. I took advantage of this program and received a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Syracuse University in 1972. I then worked at Hutchings Psychiatric Center in Syracuse from 1972 to 1973.
For several years, my dream had been to teach at the college level. I got a position at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, NY, where I became a Professor of Psychology and the Coordinator of their Human Services Program (1973 to 1986). In 1980, I was honored by having been nominated for the SUNY Chancellor's Award for excellence in college teaching and by having received the Outstanding Teaching Award at MV.
In 1980, I married Kristi Ranna from Connecticut, who, like myself, is the child of Estonian refugees. During the decades of Soviet occupation, Kristi and I, along with many others, were active in the struggle for Baltic freedom. Miraculously, on August 20, 1991, Estonia regained its independence and rejoined the World community of nations. We have visited Estonia many times over the years, both during the occupation and after. In 2022, I delivered a speech in Estonian at the Estonian Parliament, strongly urging Parliament to establish a national day of remembrance for the 80,000 Estonians who fled in September 1944 from the brutal Soviet-Russian invasion. Both my parents and my wife Kristi's were among this exodus....Expand for more
I continued my education by getting an M.Phil. (1982) degree, as well as a Ph.D. (1983) in Interdisciplinary Social Science from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. From 1984 to 1986, I also had a special appointment as a Lecturer in Sociology at Hamilton College, Clinton, NY. From 1986 to 1988, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Clinical Research at the Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT. From 1988 to 1995, I was an Associate Research Scientist and a clinician at the Yale University Department of Psychiatry. I have a faculty appointment at Yale as an Assistant Clinical Professor. In 2010, I co-authored a book with my Yale colleagues titled The Roots of the Recovery Movement in Psychiatry: Lessons Learned, published by John Wiley and Sons in London, UK.
From 1995 to the present, I have been a Professor in the Graduate School at Southern Connecticut State University, College of Health and Human Services, Social Work Department, New Haven, CT. I teach, among other classes, research methods and psychopathology courses. I Chair the Mental Health and Substance Use Specialization and Coordinate a weekend Cohort Program focusing on the co-occurring disorders of mental illness and substance use and addictions. In 2006, I was again humbled and honored by receiving the Outstanding Teaching Award at Southern.
I also maintain a private psychotherapy practice at two locations. One office is near our home here in Bethany, CT. My other office is a member of a course in downtown New Haven, the Center for Dialectical and Cognitive Behavioral Therapies. In 2019, I was honored by receiving the Educator of the Year" award for the State of Connecticut by the National Association for Social Work.
I enjoy playing tennis all year round. Each year, we spend a week at Water's Edge Spa and Resort located on the Connecticut Shore.
Kristi and I have three children: Kaili, Kiia-Mai, and Jaak Kristjan. We have five grandchildren and a cat. In 2023, I was surprised and humbled by being recognized as a "distinguished alumni" of Newfane High School.
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